George Schlieps

George Schlieps (1894–1977) was a Russian violin maker/ Luthier (of German origins), who came from a family of musicians.

He was born in St. Petersburg, Russian Empire. His uncle was the illustrious composer Alexander Glazunov.

While in Russia, he studied law and made cabinets as a hobby. He studied violin making with Ernst Geisser. He worked in Viipuri, Finland, and operated a shop in Helsinki.

He was appointed Luthier to the Sibelius Academy in 1936. He worked in Stockholm and in Estonia in 1939. He moved to Berlin in 1940 and worked as the official repairman for the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

He moved to Bridgend, Wales, in 1947, establishing a violin-making school and manufacturing facility for the British government and trained disabled soldiers to make violins.

After World War II (in 1950), the Schlieps' family (George, Alma, Mira and Armin) immigrated to New York City, where George and his son Armin, both violinmakers, were invited to work for Rembert Wurlitzer as restorers.

Soon after in 1952, they established their own shop in Carnegie Hall.

George made about 250 instruments. After George's death in 1977, Armin Schlieps (the son) (1931–2005) also an illustrious bow maker (Archetier), moved to Seattle where he ran a successful shop since then. Armin was trained in the Wurlitzer shop in New York and became widely known for his repair work in the Seattle area from 1970 onward. He made instruments and over 200 bows as of 1986. He died in 2005.

References

• Wenberg, Thomas James (1986). The Violin Makers of the United States. Mt Hood, OR: Mt Hood Pub. Co. ISBN 0-938071-05-X.
• Roda, Joseph (1959). Bows for Musical Instruments. Chicago: W. Lewis. ISBN 2-85955-002-X. OCLC 906667.
• Drawings of Bows by Famous Bowmakers by Armin Schlieps (1985)
• John H. Fairfield - Known Violin Makers
• Loan Exhibition Stringed Instruments and Bows NYV 1966 (commemorating the 70th birthday of Simone Fernando Sacconi).